Improvement in car-couplings



ALBERT S. HALLETT 8L HERVEY H. HAL'LETT.

Car Coupling.

Patented Dec. 5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT S. HALLETT AND HERVEY H. HALLETT, OF EAST ABINGTON, MASS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,617, dated December5,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT S. HALLETT and HERVEY H. HALLETT, of EastAbington, of the county of Plymouth, of the State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful or Improved Railway-Gar Coupling; and dohereby declare the same to be fully described in this our specification,and represented in the accompan yin g drawing making part thereof, ofwhich Figure l is a top view; Fig. 2, a side elevation; and Fig. 3, alongitudinal section of two draw-bars provided with our coupling. Fig. 4is an end view, and Fig. 5 a transverse section of one of the saiddraw-bars. Fig. 6 is a top view, and Fig. 7 a side view of the coupler.

This coupling is so constructed that it not only couples two cars, whileone may be moved up to the other for the purpose of being connectedtherewith; but also, when they are closed together, it aids in eliectinguncoupling of them, all of which will be better understood after perusalof the description of the nature of the invention.

In the drawing, the two draw-bars or hunterbars, as they are alsotermed, are represented at A and B, each being provided with a catch orgate, 0, arranged to slide vertically through or in the draw-bar nearthe flaring mouth a of its chamber I). Each catch or gate 0, formed asrepresented, has helical springs c 0 arranged on its legs d (I, so as tobear against the drawbar, and a cross-bar, a, connecting the two legs,all being as shown. The object of the springs is to draw the gatedownward, such gate being at top provided with a head, f, arranged andformed as exhibited in the drawing. There is pivoted upon the top ofeach draw-bar a turnbutton, D, it being so arranged as to be capable ofbeing turned underneath the head of the gate or catch when the latter israised upward, the purpose of the button D being to hold the gate orcatch in the raised position to enable the coupler E to be drawn out ofthe chamber of the draw-bar. Any suitable mechanism may be applied tothe turn-button to operate or turn it, as may be required. The coupler Eis composed of a round block, g, and two wedge-formed catcharms, h h,projecting from it in opposite directions, all being as shown in. thedrawing. The object of making each of the arms tapering or wedge-shapedis to enable it, while the bunters are being moved up into contact withthe block 9, to force upward the gate or catch 0 that may be restingupon it, and to elevate it to a height greater than that of the depth ofthe hooked part i of the said wedgeshaped arm. The turn-button beingmade of a depth greater than that of the said hooked part 'i, on beingturned under the head of the gate or catch 0 when the said gate is soelevated by the wedged arm, will hold the catch 0 in its elevatedposition, so as to suffer the coupler E to be readily drawn back fromthe catch or gate and out of engagement with it. The gate on its frontis beveled or chamfered, as shown at l, in order that when the couplerenters the draw-bar and is being forced therein its beveled end, bycontact with the said part I, shall force upward the catch or gate G andpass underneath and by it, the springs of the gate subsequently orimmediately after operating so as to draw the gate downward upon theinclined upper surface of the arm of the coupler.

We would remark that were each one of the couplers unprovided with thecam or bevel for elevating the catch-gate, the latter would have to beraised by hand or some other means. It will therefore be seen what anadvantage there is in having such cam or bevel arranged with the hook ofthe arm, as hereinbefore described. WVhile the carriages may be inmotion so as to cause one to be drawn by the other, the hook of the armsof the coupler will be against the catch-gates of the two draw-bars, andthere will be abundant chance for the coupler to play to accommodateitself to the lateral or vertical movements of the carriages on thetrack. The block 1 is essential to the coupler and its correctoperation, it serving to estop the coupler after it may have entered theproper distance into either draw-bar.

From the above description the operation of coupling and uncoupling twocars provided with our new or improved coupling mechanism will be easilyunderstood.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is as follows, v1z.:

The coupler E, the self-operating gate or catch 0, and the turn-buttonD, constructed, arranged, and combined with the chambered draw-bar orbars A B, all substantially in manner and so as to operate as described.

ALBERT S. HALLETT. HERVEY H. HALLETT. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY,

